This Q+A series will take a look at perspectives about social recruiting technology from thought leaders around the blogosphere! Today, we spoke with Christopher Fields, Social Media HR Consultant, HR Blogger, and Resume Jedi at Resume Crusade, to get his take on social media recruitment for the recruiter and jobseeker.

LISTEN:

READ:

1. With the way technology is growing and changing, what do you think the future of recruiting will look like? Will programs and computers take over the role of the recruiter?

I hope not! I think that we are going to an automated process. You see some recruiters using certain technologies or platforms, then you see other recruiters jump on…I hope we don’t, because I think I think the recruiting process needs to be somewhat personal and somewhat less automated. But I fear that many companies trying to save money, and, under their thinking, “be efficient,” will use technology and take the human aspect out of it–but I hope not.

2. The internet is abuzz with talk about social recruiting–how important is it for employers to include a social component in their recruiting strategies–and why?

It’s everywhere. I’m a guy who just started out writing blogs and resumes, and now I’m growing into social recruiting. With technology, it’s going to happen. There’s really no way around it. So companies have to adopt and be ready for it. You and I both know that next year, a lot more people will be using their mobile devices to search for jobs and apply for jobs. It’s something that companies have to be prepared for, because each year there’s a new generation of workers who are more and more comfortable with social technology and social media.

3. What are your top three tips for improving the effectiveness of a company’s social media recruitment? Feel free to share examples.

I think companies need to, from a user standpoint, go through the whole process and see how much time is it taking. How much time are they requesting from the candidates? Because it can be very frustrating. We tell people that looking for a job is a full-time job in itself, so if you think about that, you’re asking somebody to constantly be online, looking for work. And it takes hours. I think companies need to go through their own process and see: if they were a candidate, would it be a process they would like, and would they tell their friends about it?

I’m a little bit of an idealist, but I would love to see us getting back to some of the things that make HR different from other industries. Keeping that human touch. There are some great recruiters out there who really love recruiting, and they love to connect with candidates. I think companies need to make sure that they are tapping into that kind of talent.

Last tip? Just pay attention to what’s going on. Don’t be reactive. Be proactive and pay attention to the industry and what people are talking about–and try to jump on it. Instead of trying to stop it, use it to try to help.

4. What about the platforms that are a little harder to utilize on a daily basis (i.e. Instagram, Pinterest)? How do you “accessorize” your recruiting outfit without overdoing it?

The funny thing about those platforms is that we’ve seen it happen with Facebook and it’s starting to happen with Instagram, where it may have started out as one thing, but now it’s morphing into something else. So they’re going to keep changing, and they’re going to keep figuring out ways to advertise and grow, and businesses are going to try to use that to leverage their products and their services and their brands. I think these technologies always change. It’s important to pay attention to the changes that they make to their services.

We know about Facebook’s Graph Search, and how they’re going to be relaxing their security settings to make people a lot more searchable. Instagram has talked about doing some advertising. They’ve even done some tests that I’ve seen on my Instagram account. You can test your brand through Instagram and things like that. Just pay attention. Be alert. Keep up to date.

5. Let’s talk about the recruiters who are on the front lines, using all of this new technology. How can they avoid a “trial by fire” when it comes to understanding and using all of these new developments?

I think that the freelance recruiter is the most in jeopardy. Because they are going to have to try to adopt their recruiting style to whatever client they may get. So they may get involved in various things.

I think the agency recruiter really has to pay attention to just what their company needs. And when I say that, I don’t mean to not pay attention to market trends and changes, because even though the company may be historically one way, you never know when something new will come along that can be added into a recruiting process. They need to keep their eyes open too, but for them things are a little more structured. And they have the name recognition.

With agency recruiters, they’re just going to have to keep their fingers on the pulse. But the freelance recruiters are really going to have to make sure they’re talking to their clients: seeing what they need, and seeing what they want, and then trying to figure out the best strategies. So it could vary from all of the various tools that are out there.

6. Social networking is all about who you know…so what are your best tips for helping potential candidates get to know your company, your brand, or your jobs when trying to grow your talent pool?

It’s research. You can’t be lazy. You have to research. One tip that I give people is to cross-reference. If you see someone on LinkedIn, look them up on Twitter. Because you may find something about them that could help you in your interview process.

You may see someone that’s the hiring manager for a company that you’re interested in, and then you look them up on Twitter, and you may see that they’re a Big 10 fan, or an ACC fan, or that they like golf, or something like that. So when you’re in the interview, you can incorporate that into your narrative. Just little things that make them like you more. It’s all about likability, right?

People want to like the person that they’re working with, and they’re hiring, and they’re talking to. So if you can say, “Oh, that was a great game last weekend,” and you know that they watched that game because it’s something they’re into–those little things can help. So do some cross-referencing on the different social networks.

7. Do you have any other tips or thoughts on the social job search from either the jobseeker or recruiter/employer perspective?

When I talk to recruiters that I know, two things that I keep hearing from them:

The bad thing that I hear from them is that they get a lot of resumes that are not “together.” And they don’t have time to look through them and make sure that they’re together. So, to the jobseeker, make sure that you get your credentials together.

When I ask recruiters if they like getting contacted by different candidates–sometimes you may hear people say, “I don’t want to get an inbox message”–the ones I’ve talked to? They don’t mind it. They don’t mind as long as you introduce yourself and let them know why you’re contacting them, and that you’re interested in a position–and even that position number or title.

Don’t be afraid to get personal–and what I mean by “personal” is reach out. Don’t be afraid to connect to a recruiter or a hiring authority that you see and say, “Hey, I saw this position, and what’s the process?” Something like that. Get your name and your face on their radar.

Chris

This post was written by Chris Fields

1 Comment

Thanks for writing about this Chris. Just as social recruiting continues to help recruiters narrow down thousands of candidates to a few dozen, many qualified candidates are being left behind. It’s more important than ever for candidates to customize their resume submissions for each and every job opportunity. Candidates must include job description keywords in their resume submission in order to make the final cut. Jobminx.com can help candidates find the keywords needed to target job submissions. Give it a try today and get noticed.